We last gave a shout from 7,600’ at the base of Ski Hill on our descent. It was a long day, beginning with the sun hitting 17 Camp, where we packed up all of our belongings, and headed back down the West Buttress. Conditions couldn’t have been better, and before long we were shedding layers as quickly as we could as we walked into the heat of 14 Camp. An hour of repacking and grabbing more of our gear that we had cached there as well as visiting with RMI Guide Tyler Jones’ team had us ready to move out again. By 11, the air felt thick and the temps were even warmer. RMI Guide Jake Beren and team had been nice enough to dig up our cache, so once more we repacked, adjusted our sleds, traded crampons for snowshoes, and kept beat footing our way down the mountain. We rolled into 7,600 at 10 pm, and though there was a lot of discussion of just continuing on to Base Camp, we decided to throw up the tents for a few hours. We were rewarded with spectacular light as the sun dipped behind the surrounding peaks, and it was a special last night on the glacier. By 4 am we were up and walking again. The few hours of sleep had added some spring to everyones’ step and we flew down glacier, reaching Base Camp in 2.5 hours. We parked next to the runway just as the sun hit. At 9 am on the dot, our good friends from K2 Aviation showed up in three Otters to pick up ourselves and Mike Walter’s team, and by 10 we were in flip-flops back in Talkeetna. Everyone enjoyed the ensuing leisurely day of sorting gear, showers, ice cream, coffee, a celebratory dinner, and a few hours in the classic Fairview Inn. Everyone has split now, finishing plane journey’s back home to loved ones.
Thanks so much to our team. They climbed in great style, were equal to the task when things got difficult, put up with a lot of tent time and waiting, and ultimately were able to power through a move to 17 and a summit day without having carried there. We summited an hour or so after Mike Walter’s group (the first guide service summit of the year), on the first viable summit day that had presented itself during our entire stint on the mountain. We were rewarded with incredibly clear views, warm temps, and an overall fantastic day. The views on the way out were pretty stunning as well. Thanks also to all of you for following along. Sore feet and legs are fading away but folks are already talking of their next climbs to come. We look forward to it!
Best,
RMI Guides Pete, Jess, and Jenny.
Congrats for making it to the summit Rachel ! :) Pallavi.
Posted by: Pallavi Chahal on 6/8/2017 at 12:46 am
Congratulations Rachel Calvert, Pete and team! Have been following the blog and was so pleased to hear all made the summit safely and saw the beautiful Alaska range on a clear sunny day.
Rachel - will have to catch up with you and see your photos when you are back in Australia.
Renee Duvoisin (2015 summit team)
June 2, 2017
This is Pete Van Deventer calling from Denali. It's been a long day, we have been on the move for a while. We left 17,000' Camp at about 10:50 this morning and have been on the move ever since. We went down through from the thin air up there to 14,000' Camp and saw Brent Okita and Tyler Jones there and then through 11,000' Camp and saw Jake Beren there. Now we are down in the thick, warm air of 9,600 feet the Base of Ski Hill. So we're going to stop here for the evening and eat some dinner and throw the tents up for a little bit and sleep for a few hours. Then we'll get back on the trail and get back to Base Camp for what we hope to be early morning flight 8 or 9 o'clock Saturday morning. With any luck will be back in Talkeetna before we know it. Everybody's been hanging in there really well, it's a lot of walking but the further we go down the better we all feel as they air gets thicker and temps warmer. The cold on the way in feels pretty balmy at this point after sitting what we have sat through and being as high as we have been. We're looking up at the sunshine on the summit of Denali and still lighting up the Orient Express and the Messnar Couloir some of the classic faces of the upper mountain above 14,000' and really couldn't imagine a more perfect setting than where we are right now. So, we will enjoy one more night on the Kahiltna Glacier and look forward to being in town soon.
RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer
RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer checks in from 9,600 ft on their descent.
May 31, 2017
Hey, this is Pete Van Deventer. The wait is finally over we left 14,000' Camp this morning perfect guys one of the nicest mornings we have woken up to yet. We got out early before this sun hit 14 Camp and beat the rest of camp out too. Along with Mike Walter's Team we made the track up to fix lines along the West Buttress and up to our 17,000' Camp. It's a beautiful day, we are looking way down the Kahiltna Glacier with super clear skies. We really couldn't ask for much more it is warm and calm. We are all really excited and it looks like it's going to hold tomorrow. So the plan in the morning is to get up and head for the summit. We will let everybody know how that goes. The forecast looks good and conditions here look good, and the route as we can see it looks good. So everything is working in our favor at the moment. We look forward to talking to everybody tomorrow. Bye.
RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer
RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer checks in from 17,000 ft Camp on Denali.
May 30, 2017
We woke up to an unexpected foot of fresh snow this morning and unable to see the Buttress above us, let alone many of our camp neighbors. Our initial plans to head uphill became questionable at best, but we crawled out of our warm tents for some breakfast burritos and hoped for a change in the weather. The skies eventually cleared and the sun began to warm the basin, but the winds persisted up high long enough to set our sights on tomorrow.
Anxious to stretch our legs, we took advantage of the warm afternoon with a short walk to the "Edge of the World" for some spectacular views of the Alaska Range. The sun brightened spirits and kept folks lingering outside their tents all afternoon to soak it up before dinner. It was a much needed lift to prepare us for our uphill push tomorrow to 17 camp and on to the highest point in North America.
RMI Guides Jess Matthews, Jenny Konway, Pete Van Deventer and team
May 29, 2017
There isn't a whole lot new to report today. The winds started to dissipate late last night into this morning. There were still some gusty bursts that swirled snow into the air, enveloping those unlucky enough to be caught out in them. But as the morning progressed, the air calmed down, and the sun started to break though. Our brief respite of sunshine was short lived, as a 20,000' wall of cloud crept slowly towards us, finally enveloping us and triggering peaceful snowfall. It has snowed lightly for much of the day, but the wind seems to have relented for now, and the forecast seems to show our window appearing in the next couple of days. We'll be excited when it does!
RMI Guides Pete, Jess, Jenny and team
Made it down to base camp Tuesday morning at about 12:05 AM. You may have heard we endured some unexpected weather on the way down. But it looks like everything is starting to change. Sunny skies at Base this morning after almost 2-weeks of less than optimal conditions. Beautiful flight out. I’m rooting for you all!!!. Stay strong and get this done!!!
Joel
Posted by: Joel on 5/30/2017 at 10:43 pm
Thinking of everyone, especially our nephew, Peter Bilodeau. Prayers for safety & success!
With love,
Aunt Ann & Uncle Dave
May 28, 2017
Though the moisture and winds we've been sitting through were forecasted to dissipate today, Denali had other plans. We haven't seen much all day due to blowing snow and gusty winds. For the brief period that we went over to the ranger tent for a visit, the max gusts hit 42 mph. We made the best of it by inviting Mike's team over for breakfast burritos. Tent fever spurred a lively and long lived game of "heads up." The weather this evening explained our current situation: a low pressure center moving to the NW of the mountain, and frontal passage over the mountain. Things should settle out once the front passes, and once Denali gives the OK, we're ready to take advantage. Until then, we'll listen to the wind blow.
RMI Guides Pete, Jess, Jenny and Team
We all hope for weather change in nearest future- we wish you a lot of sunshine with no snow and no wind.
Your creativity with meals and entertainment in such difficult conditions is amazing!
Jan- we are keeping you and the whole team (actually both teams) in our thoughts.
Hello everyone!
Today we rose early, before the sun.
It was darn cold out, but we still woke everyone.
We ate blueberry pancakes with maple sauce, Man they were delicious and they were the boss!
We were hoping for good weather, to carry to 17.
But the mountain above us remained unseen.
We chatted with our neighbors and told some jokes, Man those guys are funny blokes!
Tomorrow we'll see what the weather brings.
Hopefully that old sunshine comes out and sings!
RMI Guide Jenny and The camp 14 Hiphopapotomus
The extent some will go to to have such a breakfast -amazing. Frostbite not nice - hope those Koreans not too serious. We also find your waiting game frustrating - maybe tomorrow lots of sunshine, no snow or wind. Current camp is getting crowded - good to share experiences with other teams.Always look forward to your next report. - take care and safe climbing.P andV.
Posted by: Phil and Vonne Calvert on 5/27/2017 at 6:16 pm
Go Rachel and Mark!! We’re cheering you on from balmy Houston, Texas! Thanks for the updates - makes for nice breaks from chasing the tots. You two are amazing!
May 25, 2017
We had the sun this morning, but a large cloud cap over the summit convinced us to wait another day to carry. It was a great day to let the tents bake, dry wet items, and people watch around camp. We capped it with a dinner of quinoa, lentils, kale, and squash in a red wine, bouillon, and Dijon reduction. It was a nice to have some fresher tasting food after 12 days on the mountain. Hopefully we wake to clear skies tomorrow and get our cache on above!
RMI Guides Pete, Jess, Jenny and team
May 24, 2017
Well, the Denali storm has arrived (we are calling it the Horiskey storm). We woke to snow this morning, and as the day had progressed, the winds have strengthened. Lots of snow is moving around camp, and being out of a tent is really unpleasant. So we've stayed in the tents. Our cook tent is nice and tight, and our individual tents were occupied with napping, music, and reading. The storm is supposed to peak tomorrow, so probably more of the same in store. Our walls are strong, our sleeping bags warm, and our bellies full, so all in all, life is good.
RMI Guides Pete, Jess, Jenny and team
May 23, 2017
We took our first full rest day at 14. The winds were moving snow up high, but it was a pretty glorious day here in Genet Basin. We spent the day improving our walls for winds that are forecasted to huff and puff, and also practiced for our eventual trip up the fixed lines. Mike Walter's team challenged us to a jeopardy game this evening, and we're happy to report that we took the prize, with a score of 200 to 0 (though both teams spent a long time in the negative area). We'll see what tomorrow brings.
RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer, Jess Matthews, Jenny Konway and team
Looks like you and the team are doing well, hope you had a good rest day. Seriously though stop being lazy and get to the top of the mountain! Miss seeing you, stay safe, and don’t worry the sky isn’t falling around here without you.
Regards,
TJ
Posted by: TJ Burns on 5/24/2017 at 7:38 pm
Such an amazing experience for you all. I am a friend of Joel Broder’s friend, Susie Okun. She was talking about your hike today and hooked me up with your blog. The pictures are beautiful. You must be having an incredible time! Enjoy and be safe. XO
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Congrats for making it to the summit Rachel ! :) Pallavi.
Posted by: Pallavi Chahal on 6/8/2017 at 12:46 am
Congratulations Rachel Calvert, Pete and team! Have been following the blog and was so pleased to hear all made the summit safely and saw the beautiful Alaska range on a clear sunny day.
Rachel - will have to catch up with you and see your photos when you are back in Australia.
Renee Duvoisin (2015 summit team)
Posted by: Renee Duvoisin on 6/6/2017 at 4:18 pm
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